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Comment |
Jon
James
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Excellent
Nationals Adventure, 8/11-18
Rich Sauer, Todd Robinson, Tim Washick and I met at Sacramento Airport Wednesday afternoon
and after a 4 hour flight we were in Austin by 1 PM. Linda was right
there to pick us up and we were in bed at the Brazos Valley Inn in
Hearne by 3 AM.
Thursday we go out to the airport by 11. Rich
wants to get there early. It's pretty windy, and hot. Bo Hagwood is flying
the Austin Airsports Dragonfly, towing lots of gliders up. There's a
small office, a big open hanger, several regular hangers, a 7000
foot runway beyond a wide grass strip where we will tow from. When a
glider lands in the grass, a cloud of grasshoppers rises around it.
There are a lot of grasshoppers, but they seem to thin out during
the week. Did I say it was hot? And humid?
There were lots of
people there we knew: Paris Williams; Jim Lee; JZ and Amy; Tish the flying fish;
Bubba Goodman; Mark
Bolt; Dean Funk; Dennis and Claire Pagen; the Permenters; Ken Brown; etc.
Big eastern contingent. There was a line of RVs along the road,
including Davis Straub and JZ with his swimming pool set up. We picked a
grassy spot under some trees to set it. This Laminar ghetto became
our spot for the week.
Pilots are getting short flights. We
set up slowly. Rich begins working on his glider, his harness,
adding ballast, etc. He changes a leading edge, works on tips and
sprogs, tapes a small tube to his LE, constantly works on his glider
with Rich Burton. All of the top pilots are working on their gliders
too.
We all go up for short flights in strong lift and strong
drift. We go to Bryan for supplies. We come back and get Rich at 9.
He's still working on his gleder.
It's hot. I'm sweating like
crazy on the ground. Start drinking gator-aid.
Friday was
less hot, the wind lighter, clouds started earlier so we all flew
for a couple of hours. It's cool at cloudbase. Linda's working in
the office, helping put pilot packages together,
etc.
Sat. Aug 11
Saturday, the first contest day, was windy early. We
were leaving our gliders set up, tied to the tree trunks overnight.
The first pilots meeting was slow and they called a long task, 126
miles to the north, so there was a rush to get all the gliders
caried out to the flight line. The flight lines were about 200 yards
away. It was hot work getting our gliders out there. There was a
tarp tent for shade for each flight line. It was quite social while
everyone sweated together and drank water in the shade
there.
To get in line to launch, you had to put your harness
on. Some people waited in the 100 degree sun for 45 minutes to
launch. Todd an I waited and launched at the end. We should have
launched earlier. I had a weak link break and carried my glider back
for another launch, was hot, wet, and late.
Climbs were slow
to cloudbase at 6000 feet. About 15 miles out, a blue hole opened on
course line. Todd and I followed the line of clouds to the right,
Rich and Tim went to the left side of the hole. Climbs got better.
Todd followed the course line out into the blue and landed after 55
miles. My route on the right ran out eventually and I glided back to
a road at 80 miles. Rich made goal in about 4.5 hours, Tim landed at
goal at 7:25 after 5.5 hours. We get back to Hearne around midnight.
This was the longest task ever called in a US competition. Tim's
sore already.
(Davis Straub's OZ report of Saturday's competition)
Sun. Aug 12
Sunday morning we set up our gliders and it was nice. Leaving
them set up day after day had been making me nervous. Clouds were out
early, winds light so the task committee (Davis, Jim Lee, Steve,
Paris, ? they picked great tasks) called a 71 mile triangle, NE up
79 to Silo, west to Regan, back to Hearne. 2nd and 3rd legs would
be into the wind. It's still hot, we sweat buckets on the ground, we
drink, and launch earlier. Davis comes in to land and breaks his
keel. He spends the next 2 hours in the hot sun fixing it, then
flies the task. Rich, Todd, and Tim go just after 1 and me by 2:30.
I discover I left my radio back in the set-up area, so had to go get
it. On the way back to the flight line, I had a close-up view of
Carlos Bessa locking out off the cart, getting released, and piling into a
golf cart that was parked where it shouldn't have been. He smashed
the glider into the cart but missed it with his body and wasn't
hurt. The safety director stopped launches until the hazards were
cleared. Rich Burton also got his nose high and locked out, breaking
a down tube.
Once in the air, I got right up to 6000 feet.
The tugs let you off in lift. Pull the release, keep turning, and
you're climbing at 300 feet/min. Progress to the Silo was fast. The
turnpoints were all GPS turnpoints. Then there was a long 2nd leg
but clouds were great and there were other circling gliders to home
in on. I was going pretty fast. Eventually the second turnpoint came
up. I climbed with a bunch of gliders, some of whom got a low save
over a big tower. I couldn't find the second turnpoint. My GPS was
acting funny and I hadn't studdied the map well enough. I tried for
the turnpoint a couple of times, but didn't want to land out there
so eventually I headed for home, just over a mile short of the
turnpoint.
Todd landed about 7 miles short of goal near
Calvert and Tim landed nearby. Rich made goal. Although somewhat
depressed about missing the turnpoint, I amused myself watching dust
devils come off a power plant and soon I was down to 1500 feet over
Calvert when I found a really nice 600 foot/min thermal to 6700. The
thermals were pretty smooth. I glided to goal way high.
(Davis Straub's OZ report of Sunday's competition)
Mon. Aug 13
Overcast in the morning. Low to the north. They send
us 53 miles to the south to Giddings. Those who didn't make the
triangle had to do the Set Up Of Shame. We launch from 1 to 2:15,
Todd last. Shadow is moving in from the north. We get up over the
field. We glide toward the river to the south and a lot of people
are low, Tim below 1000 feet, me 1300. We get up with several
others. Todd lands, just outside the start cylinder. The CUs are
thin and flat. The course line is over a wide swath of trees. I go a
little left of course line. I'm not flying as well as yesterday.
Finally I get impatient and fly out into a blue area and land at Old
Dime Box, 15 miles short of goal. Rich makes it, Tim makes it in
under 3 hours.
Tues. Aug 14
Beautiful clouds, wind NE
less than 10. A 66.6 mile triangle, Hearne - Bryan - Silo - Hearne. I
launch early, have a weak-link break, go again and make the 2:15
start gate with a big gaggle. Nice lift, to 700 feet/min. I land at
the first turnpoint, still don't know why. Rich makes the task. Todd
glides in from 5000 feet 12 miles out getting help from the highway,
the Fireman's Hall roof, a fire at the edge of the airport. He
crosses the goal line, turns, and lands. 198.8 Go-For-It
points.
(Davis Straub's OZ report of Tuesday's competition)
Wed. Aug 14
105 mile triangle (biggest ever
called in US). Launch times are moved up. We get going early, I get
the first start time of 1:15. There are a couple of people ahead of
me. The lead gaggle started later and catches up with me. I fly with
them for 2 or 3 thermals. I'm climbing well but these guys fly fast
and soon they zoom off. I climb just past turnpoint 1 at Marquis.
Rich, then Tim and Todd, join me here. We go on the long arm west.
Climbs are good, to over 7000 feet. I get low (200 AGL) at Kosse but
get up with the help of hawks with white wingtips. Just before the
2nd turnpoint there's a 900 foot/min climb to cloudbase.
Todd and Tim landed on the second leg but I get turnpoint 2
and land on the south side of Martin. Rich lands about 20 miles
short of goal. Jers, Glen Volk, Mark Bolt, Paris, Bo, and Gerolf
make it.
(Davis Straub's OZ report of Wednesday's competition)
Thurs. Aug 15
Task 56 mile out and return,
east to John's Airport and back. The low from the north should meet
the seabreeze from the south. We'll try to stay in the convergence.
We go between 2 and 2:30. It's easy going out, cloudbase at 6000
feet, but when we come back there is huge development to the north
with 2 big rain cells near the course. Rich dives through rain and
makes goal. Todd and Tim are just ahead of me. We inch our way past
the first rain cell.
I keep asking Linda if the wind on the
ground has switched to north yet as gust fronts fall ont of the
overdevelopment and rain that we're skirting. Eventually, the wind
on the ground switches. Soon we hear it's gusting to 20 from the
northeast at Hearne. We're cruising in convergence, some people
don't turn for 15 miles. If you get on the right side of the line,
the air is violent. I think about my chute. Fred Permenter says he
hits his keel several times. My glider makes noises. If you head to
the south, you cross the line and the air gets smooth and
lifty.
Todd is determined to make goal so he dives to the
north, between 2 rain columns. He gets rained on and lands in high,
gusty winds. I hear someone on the radio say "I think I broke my
arm". I take my altitude and head south, away from goal.
I
pick a nice field by a big highway and spiral down for a beautiful
landing. The guy didn't really break his arm but Jamie Sheldon had a
hard landing and got some stitches. Exciting. The task was stopped
at 5:25. All but 4 were down by then.
(Davis Straub's OZ report of Thursday's competition)
Fri. Aug 16
Last
contest day. We need 7. Task 55 mile dogleg east and south. The day
starts out good but cirrus moves over the turnpoint and slows things
down. I land by the turnpoint 24 miles out. Tim makes it a few past
that and Todd a few miles past Tim. Rich lands 16 miles short. 5
flex wings make it. Gerolf doesn't quite make it but Paris does so
Paris takes 1st. Rich is 15 (after being 12 all week), Todd, 34,
Tim, 36 and me, 38.
We hang around in front of the big fan
Saturday. Rich and Tim fly, get over 7500.
Kim gets a late ride
in a Dragonfly with Bobby Bailey flying from the back seat. She gets
a good ride, including river-skimming.
The Awards Ceremony
Saturday night has fresh Gulf shrimp, more than we can eat. It's a
first-rate party. Lots of beer. Good beer. We stay
late.
(Davis Straub's OZ report of Friday's competition)
Sunday, Linda drives us to the airport in Austin. We
fly home to discover St. John is burning.
Without Linda (and
Rich), we couldn't have gone on this adventure where we buzzed all
around Texas at cloudbase for 9 or 10 days straight. She drove us
everywhere, retrieved us, worked on the contest, decorated the hall,
and chased kids.
Thank you, Rich. And Thank You !!!!!
Linda.
(Davis Straub's OZ report wrap-up of the competition)
(Davis Straub's OZ report reflections)
|
TODD
(8/20/01 10:17:13
am)
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HOLY
COW!!!
Well we just got back last night and man am I sore! We flew both
days before the meet, and seven straight days in the meet. The tasks
were insane!!! and the top pilots were unreal. Our group did well and
we all worked as a team. I even learned how to use my G.P.S. I'll let
Jon give the main report but what I really would like to say is
thanx to Rich and Linda for letting me tag along!!! And Linda - what
can you say about Linda... HOLY COWWWW!!! She is *my* National Champ.
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